1. Grating Parmesan Cheese
Sure, we love the Microplane fine zester/grater for adding a quick shower of Parm on top of a bowl of pasta, but when the lasagna recipe calls for a 1/2 cup or maybe more, hand grating can be tedious. If you cut your wedge of cheese into chunks about 1-inch in size and whiz them in the processor fitted with the blade, NOT the grating attachment, you'll be amazed at the results.

2. Kneading Dough
No more excuses left for not making your own pizza crust or pie dough! Yes, you still have to measure out the ingredients, but the processor combines them quickly and expertly.

3. Mincing Parsley
While generally there's a limit to how much you can process when it comes to curly parsley leaves, you can pack them in to the top of the bowl. Try this the next time you make tabbouleh salad, a staple in my family at summer buffets.

4. Whipping up Dressings and Dips
Since their beginnings, food processors have been hailed for their ability to make mayonnaise. In the cap of the feed tube, there's a little tiny hole. If you add the oil through the hole, it flows into the eggs at just the right pace to be absorbed and turn everything into mayo. But let's be honest, who among us makes their own mayo these days? This technique also works like a charm when you're making a mustardy or creamy salad dressing like Ceasar, pesto, or an oil-based dip.

5. Mixing Cookies
Simple cookie recipes that aren't weighed down with a ton of butter and flour can be whizzed in the processor. In fact, Susan Westmoreland's Chocolate-Hazelnut Macaroons calls for first grinding the nuts and chocolate and then mixing them in the processor bowl, reducing the number of steps and pieces of equipment you have to wash up.

To find the perfect processor, be sure to check out Good Housekeeping's reviews.